Includes bibliographical references (p. 467-471) and index

Foreword / David Copperfield -- 1. Myth or Magic -- 2. The First Wonder-Workers -- 3. The Automaton Chess Player -- 4. Magic in the Colonies -- 5. American Indian Conjuring -- 6. Professor Pinetti -- 7. Signor Blitz -- 8. The Great Wizard of the North -- 9. Robert-Houdin - Innovator -- 10. England's Home of Mystery -- 11. The Great Herrmanns -- 12. Around the World with Kellar -- 13. Thurston - The Wonder Show of the Universe -- 14. Ching Ling Foo, Chung Ling Soo, and The Great Lafayette -- 15. The Selbit Sensations -- 16. The Great Vaudeville Specialists -- 17. Le Roy and Goldin - Trendsetters -- 18. Carter, Nicola, and Raymond -- 19. Houdini -- 20. Blackstone Versus Dante -- 21. Dunninger - Master Mentalist -- 22. Big Shows and Small Screens -- 23. Magic Superstars Poised for the Twenty-first Century

Set off on a magical history tour with Milbourne Christopher's classic The Illustrated History of Magic. Follow the fascinating stories of the world's greatest necromancers, from sorcerer-priests in ancient Egypt to such modern miracle workers as Houdini and David Copperfield. Discover the truth behind the legendary Indian Rope Trick, the fearful Bullet-Catch and how Chung Ling Soo was killed performing it, Houdini's vanishing elephant, Sawing a lady in half and much

much more! This reissue has been updated by Milbourne Christopher's widow, Maurine, to include the hottest magic acts of today, including Doug Henning, Melinda, and Siegfried & Roy!

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